Ruth Canada has been involved with supporting smallholder farmers through both university and non-profit settings. She worked in Missouri at an 1890 land grant university’s College of Agriculture, empowering farmers to gain knowledge and resources that allowed them to feed their communities. Working with university researchers, she assisted in obtaining funding for climate-resilient crops for small farmers. Additionally, she led an 1890 scholarship program that encouraged university students to select agriculture as a career path.

Most recently, Ruth worked at Heifer International with smallholder pastured pork producers in Mississippi and helped farmers gain technical knowledge, resources and connections that enhanced their resiliency. Ruth believes that partnerships are one of the keys to success for farmers who are competing for market share for their products and that farmers produce enough to feed their communities if local and regional food systems are strengthened. “Helping BIPOC farmers to succeed in the 21st century benefits us all and ensures that communities thrive”.

During her free time, Ruth can be found digging in the soil and growing and preserving the bounty from nature.